Corylus plant named &#39;YORK&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Corylus  plant named ‘York’ characterized by globose plant habit and moderate vigor, green developing and fully expanded leaves during the spring and summer, resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by the fungus  Anisogramma anomala  (Peck) E. Müller, presence of random amplified polymorphic DNA markers 152-800 and AA12-850, expression of incompatibility alleles S 2  and S 21  in the styles, and DNA fingerprints at 10 of 23 microsatellite marker loci that differ from both parents OSU 479.027 and OSU 504.065, and from one parent at an additional 11 marker loci.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

This invention was made with government support under Specific Cooperative Agreement No. 58-5358-4542 awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The government has certain rights in the invention.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Corylus avellana

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘York’

BACKGROUND

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Corylus plant (hazelnut, filbert), botanically known as Corylus avellana, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘York’. Corylus avellana is in the family Betulaceae.

The new Corylus resulted from a controlled cross of female parent OSU 479.027 (unpatented) and male parent OSU 504.065 (unpatented) made in 1997 by Shawn A. Mehlenbacher and David C. Smith. Hybrid seeds from the cross were harvested in August 1997, stratified, and seedlings grown in the greenhouse during the summer of 1998. From this cross, total of 183 seedling trees were planted in the field in Corvallis, Oreg., USA in October, 1998. ‘York’ was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Corvallis, Oreg.

‘York’ was originally assigned the designation OSU 878.048, which indicates the row and tree location of the original seedling. OSU 479.027 is from a cross of OSU 231.111 (unpatented)×OSU 226.122 (unpatented). OSU 504.065 is from a cross of OSU 186.080 (unpatented)×VR 17-15 (unpatented). The pedigree of ‘York’ includes ‘Barcelona’ (unpatented) widely grown in Oregon, ‘Casina’ from Asturias, Spain (unpatented), ‘Tonda Gentile delle Langhe’ from Piemonte, northern Italy (unpatented), ‘Montebello’ from Sicily, Italy (unpatented), and ‘Tombul Ghiaghli’, a Turkish cultivar obtained from Greece (unpatented).

The new cultivar was asexually reproduced by rooted suckers annually for eight years (2003-2010) in Corvallis, Oreg. The new cultivar was also asexually propagated by whip grafting in Corvallis, Oreg. The unique features of this new Corylus are stable and reproduced true-to-type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘York’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘York’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Globose plant habit and moderate vigor.     -   2. Green developing and fully expanded leaves during the spring         and summer.     -   3. Resistance to eastern filbert blight caused by the fungus         Anisogramma anomala (Peck) E. Müller.     -   4. Presence of random amplified polymorphic DNA markers 152-800         and AAl12-850 in DNA of ‘York’ amplified by the polymerase chain         reaction. These two markers are linked to a dominant allele for         resistance to eastern filbert blight from the cultivar Gasaway         (unpatented).     -   5. Expression of incompatibility alleles S₂ and S₂₁ in the         styles.     -   6. DNA fingerprints at 10 of 23 microsatellite marker loci         differ from both parents OSU 479.027 and OSU 504.065, and from         one parent at an additional 11 marker loci. The microsatellite         primers are shown in Table 1, and allele sizes are shown in         Table 2. DNA fingerprints of standard cultivars ‘Barcelona’,         ‘Tonda Gentile delle Langhe’ and ‘Extra Ghiaghli’, and         ‘Gasaway’, the source of eastern filbert blight resistance, are         also shown in attached Table 2.

In comparisons in two replicated trials conducted in Corvallis, Oreg., plants of the new Corylus differed from plants of the Corylus avellana cultivar Barcelona (unpatented), and other cultivars and selections of Corylus avellana known to the Inventors primarily in nut size, nut shape, kernel percentage (ratio of kernel weight to nut weight), frequency of blank nuts (nuts lacking kernels), time of pollen shed, time of nut maturity, length of the husk or involucre, and plant size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Foliage colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Corylus.

FIG. 1 shows a tree of the new cultivar ‘York’ growing in a field in August, in Corvallis, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows the tree of the new cultivar ‘York’ growing in a field in January, in Corvallis, Oreg.

FIG. 3 shows typical nuts, raw kernels, and blanched kernels of ‘York’ hazelnut compared to those of ‘Jefferson’ hazelnut.

FIG. 4 shows typical nuts, raw kernels, and blanched kernels of ‘York’ hazelnut compared to those of ‘Lewis’ hazelnut.

FIG. 5 shows the typical nuts, raw kernels, and blanched kernels of ‘York’ hazelnut compared to those of ‘Barcelona’ hazelnut and other hazelnut cultivars.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar York has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Corvallis, Oreg. under commercial practice outdoors in the field during the fall, winter and spring. Plants used for the photographs and description were propagated by tie-off layerage and growing on their own roots, and about seven years old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1966 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Corylus avellana cultivar York. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Corylus avellana selection OSU             479.027 (unpatented).         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Corylus avellana selection OSU             504.065 (unpatented). -   Propagation (type rooted suckers):     -   -   Time to initiate roots.—about 30 days at 20 degrees C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—about six months at 22             degrees C.         -   Root description.—fine to thick; freely branching; creamy             white in color. -   Propagation (type whip grafting):     -   -   Time to budbreak on the scions.—about 14 days at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a grafted plant.—about six months at 25° C. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—perennial shrub.         -   Size.—plant height is about 5 meters; plant diameter or             spread is about 5 meters.         -   Form.—spreading plant habit.         -   Growth and branching habit.—freely branching; about 15             lateral branches develop per plant. Pinching, i.e., removal             of the terminal apices, enhances branching with lateral             branches potentially forming at every node.         -   Vigor.—Moderate vigor growth habit.         -   Roots.—Fine to thick; freely branching; creamy white in             color. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—about 38 cm.         -   Diameter.—about 6 mm.         -   Internode length.—about 3.2 cm.         -   Texture.—smooth, glabrous.         -   Strength.—strong.         -   Color.—immature — 152B, mature — 152B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—alternate, simple.         -   Length.—about 10.0 cm.         -   Width.—about 9.3 cm.         -   Shape.—ablong to ovate.         -   Apex.—obtuse to acute.         -   Base.—cordate.         -   Margin.—serrate.         -   Texture.—upper and lower surfaces — slightly pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing foliage: upper surface 146B, lower             surfaces: 146C. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             Spring and summer, 146A; late summer and fall, 146A. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Spring and summer, 146C;             late summer and fall, 146C. Venation, upper surface: Spring             and summer, 146A; late summer and fall, 146A. Venation,             lower surface: Spring and summer, 148D; late summer and             fall, 148D. -   Petiole description:     -   -   Length.—about 2.7 cm.         -   Diameter.—about 1.8 mm.         -   Texture.—upper and lower surfaces: pubescent.         -   Color.—upper surface: Spring and summer, 139D; late summer             and fall, 139D. lower surface: Spring and summer, 139D; late             summer and fall, 139D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Male inflorescences.—catkins, color prior to elongation             194C.         -   Female inflorescence.—style color 047B. -   Nut description:     -   -   Length.—about 18.0 mm.         -   Width.—about 19.7 mm.         -   Depth.—about 17.0 mm.         -   Nut shape.—round.         -   Nut shape index [(width+depth)/2*length].—1.02.         -   Nut compression index (width/depth).—1.16.         -   Nut shell color.—164A.         -   Nut weight.—about 2.73 grams.         -   Kernel weight.—about 1.23 grams.         -   Kernel percentage (kernel weight/nut weight).—about 46%. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Corylus are highly     resistant to eastern filbert blight caused by the fungus Anisogramma     anomala (Peck) E. Müller. Plants of the new Corylus are highly     resistant to bud mites (Phytoptus avellanae Nal.), while plants of     ‘Tonda Gentile delle Langhe’ are highly susceptible, and plants of     ‘Barcelona’ are highly resistant. -   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from −10 to 38° C. in     the field in Corvallis, Oreg.

TABLE 1 Primers and annealing temperatures for the  24 microsatellite marker loci    used to fingerprint ‘York’ and other hazelnut cultivars. Repeat Locus motif Size T_(n) n He Ho PIC r A613 (TC)₁₃ 149- 60 14 0.85 0.85 0.85 0.00 (CA)₁₂ 177 A614 (TC)₁₇ 125- 60 14 0.85 0.85 0.84 0.00 (CA)₁₀ 156 NNN (CA)₆ A616 (AC)₁₁ 136- 60 13 0.85 0.85 0.83 0.00 162 A640 (CT)₁₅ 354- 67 11 0.80 0.73 0.7 0.04 (CA)₁₃ 378 B107 (CT)₁₄ 112- 55 14 0.85 0.80 0.83 0.02 151 B617 (GA)₁₅ 280- 60  9 0.80 0.78 0.78 0.01 298 B619 (TC)₂₁ 146- 60 14 0.88 0.88 0.7 0.00 180 B634 (AG)₁₅ 218- 60  9 0.76 0.76 0.73 0.00 238 B657 (AG)₁₅ 210- 60  8 0.84 0.98 0.82 −0.08 228 B671 (AG) 221- 60 13 0.86 0.88 0.84 −0.01 6NN 249 (GA)₁₇ B709 (GA)₂₁ 219- 60  8 0.74 0.76 0.70 −0.01 233 B733 (TC)₁₅ 161- 60  8 0.68 0.68 0.63 0.00 183 B741 (GT)₅ 176- 60 10 0.77 0.78 0.74 0.00 (GA)₁₂ 194 B749 (TC)₁₂ 200- 60  6 0.60 0.64 0.51 −0.03 210 B751 (GA)₁₅ 141- 60  7 0.80 0.80 0.77 0.01 153 B774 (AG)₁₅ 195- 60  8 0.80 0.80 0.77 0.01 213 B776 (GA)₁₇ 134- 60  7 0.71 0.60 0.67 0.07 148 B795 (TC)₈ 296- 60 12 0.76 0.74 0.74 0.01 Ns 332 (CT)₇ Ns(CT) ₁₀Ns (TC)₅ C115 (TAA)₅ 167- 60 14 0.80 0.80 0.77 0.00 (GAA)₁₂ 226 KG809 (AGG)₆ 333- 55  5 0.66 0.64 0.60 0.01 345 KG811 (GA)₁₇ 240- 58 12 0.83 0.82 0.81 0.01 278 KG827 (CT)₁₃ 264- 67  9 0.78 0.84 0.75 −0.04 AA 282 (CA)₇ KG830 (CT)₁₄ 279- 67  9 0.79 0.78 0.76 0.00 GTATT 311 (CA)₈ Soman- (AAT)₅ 54  3 0.60 0.98 0.51 −0.27 G Primers  Primers  Refer- Locus LG 5′-3′ 5′-3′ ence A613 11 Ned- R- Gurcan  CACACG CCCCTT et al.  CCTTGTCA TCACATGT 2010 CTCTTT TTGCTT (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 1) NO: 2) A614 6 Hex- R- Gurcan   TGGCAGA GCAGTGG et al. GCTTTGT AGGATTG 2010 CAGCTT CTGACT (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 3) NO: 4) A616 8 Fam- R- Gurcan   CACTCAT ATGGCTT et al. ACCGCAA TTGCTTC 2010 ACTCCA GTTTTG (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 5) NO: 6) A640 10 F- Fam- Gurcan   TGCCTCT CGCCATAT et al. GCAGTTA AATTGGGAT 2010 GTCATCAA GCTTGTTG ATGTAGG (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 8) NO: 7) B107 10 Ned- R- Boccacci  GTAGGTGC AACACCATA et al. ACTTGATG TTGAGTCT 2005; TGCTTTAC TTCAAAGC Go- (SEQ ID (SEQ ID kirmak NO: 9) NO: 10) et al. 2009 B617 8 Fam- R- Gurcan   TCCGTGT TGTTTT et al. TGAGTAT TGGTGGA 2010 GGACGA GCGATG (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 11) NO: 12) B619 3 Fam- R- Gurcan   AGTCGG GCGATC et al. CTCCCCT TGACCTC 2010 TTTCTC ATTTTTG (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 13) NO: 14) B634 4 Hex- R- Gurcan   CCTGCA GTGCAG et al. TCCAGGA AGGTTGC 2010 CTCATTA ACTCAAA  (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID NO: 15) NO: 16) B657 11 Ned- R- Gurcan   GAGAGT AGCCTC et al. GCGTCTT CAACCTC 2010 CCTCTGG ACGAAC (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 17) NO: 18) B671 9 Hex- R- Gurcan   TTGCCAG ACCAGC et al. TGCATAC TCTGGGC 2010 TCTGATG TTAACAC (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 19) NO: 20) B709 5 Ned- R- Gurcan   CCAAGCA GCGGGT et al. CGAATGA TCTCGTT 2010 ACTCAA GTACACT (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 21) NO: 22) B733 7.2 Ned- R- Gurcan   CACCCT CATCCC et al. CTTCACC CTGTTGG 2010 ACCTCAT AGTTTTC (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 23) NO: 24) B741 5 Fam- R- Gurcan   GTTCACA CGTGTT et al. GGCTGTT GCTCATG 2010 GGGTTT TGTTGTG (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 25) NO: 26) B749 1 Hex- R- Gurcan   GGCTGA TCGGCTA et al. CAACACA GGGTTAG 2010 GCAGAAA GGTTTT (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 27) NO: 28 B751 7.2 Fam- R- Gurcan   AGCTGGT AAACTCAA et al. TCTTCGA ATAAAACC 2010 CATTCC CCTGCTC (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID NO: 29) NO: 30) B774 5 Ned- R- Gurcan   GTTTTG TGTGTGT et al. CGAGCTC GGTCTGT 2010 ATTGTCA AGGCACT (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 31) NO: 32) B776 6 Fam- R- Gurcan   TGTATGTA TGAGGGG et al. CACACGGA AAGAGGT 2010 GAGAGAGA TTGATG (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 33) NO: 34) B795 NA Fam- R- Gurcan   GACCCACA TGGGCA et al. AACAATAA TCATCCA 2010 CCTATCTC GGTCTA (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 35) NO: 36) C115 4 Fam- GTTTCCAG Bassil   A1111 CC ATCTGCCTC et al. GCAGATA CATATAAT 2005b, ATACAGG (SEQ ID Go-  (SEQ ID  NO: 38) kirmak NO: 37) et al. 2009 KG809 4 Hex- F- Gurcan  AGGCAT GGAAGGT and CAGTTC GAGAGAA Mehlen- ATCCAA ATCAAGT bacher (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  2010 NO: 39) NO: 40) KG811 2 Ned- F- Gurcan  AAGGCG GAACAAC and GCACTC TGAAGAC Mehlen- GCTCACA GCAAAG bacher (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  2010 NO: 41) NO: 42) KG827 9 Fam- GAGGGA Gurcan  AGAACTCC GCAAGTCA and GACTAATA AAGTTGA Mehlen- ATCCTAA GAAGAAA bacher CCCTTGC (SEQ ID 2010 (SEQ ID  NO: 44) NO: 43) KG830 9 Ned- AAAGCA Gurcan  TGGAGGA ACTCA and AGTTTTGA TAGCT Mehlen- ATGGTAG GAAGTC bacher TAGAGGA CAATCA 2010 (SEQ ID  (SEQ ID  NO: 45) NO: 46) Soman-G NA Hex- R- unpub- TGGCGT GCCATCTTT lished TGCAACA AGAAAGTTC TATTCTC GATACAG (SEQ ID (SEQ ID NO: 47) NO: 48) Primer fluorescent tags are FAM, HEX, and NED. Ta: annealing-temperature (° C.) N: number of alleles He: expected heterozygosity Ho: observed heterozygosity PIC: polymorphism information content r: estimated null allele frequency LG: linkage group

TABLE 2 Allele sizes in ‘York’, its parents, and four other hazelnut cultivars at 24 microsatellite loci. ‘Tonda Gentile Tag Locus ‘York’ 479.027 504.065 delle Langhe’ NED A613 157/177 177/177 157/159 151/157 HEX A614 125/158 125/132 148/158 125/135 FAM A616 142/150 142/150 150/150 148/150 FAM A640 362/374 354/374 354/362 354/368 NED B107 122/134 134/146 122/134 134/152 FAM B617 286/290 286/290 286/286 286/296 FAM B619 156/164 156/164 156/164 148/164 HEX B634 226/234 226/226 232/234 226/226 NED B657 220/222 222/226 220/224 218/226 HEX B671 241/247 227/247 241/241 237/241 NED B709 227/231 227/231 227/227 227/227 NED B733 171/179 171/179 173/179 171/173 FAM B741 177/186 177/186 177/184 177/184 HEX B749 208/208 206/208 206/208 206/208 FAM B751 151/153 151/153 143/151 149/153 NED B774 203/209 209/211 203/207 203/211 FAM B776 137/150 137/137 137/150 137/137 FAM B795 330/330 296/330 330/330 312/330 FAM C115 197/197 194/197 194/197 173/173 HEX KG809 336/345 336/339 339/345 336/339 NED KG811 254/254 254/254 254/264 254/264 FAM KG827 266/270 270/282 266/266 266/268 NED KG830 295/295 295/295 295/295 291/295 HEX SMNG 196/200 196/200 196/200 196/200 ‘Extra Tag ‘Barcelona’ Ghiaghli’ ‘Gasaway’ NED 151/159 167/169 159/161 HEX 125/131 125/150 143/158 FAM 142/150 150/158 148/148 FAM 354/374 374/374 362/368 NED 112/134 116/116 122/128 FAM 286/290 294/296 292/296 FAM 156/170 164/174 170/174 HEX 226/226 226/226 220/232 NED 218/222 210/222 224/228 HEX 223/227 227/247 235/247 NED 225/233 225/227 227/227 NED 171/173 171/171 173/173 FAM 177/186 177/184 186/188 HEX 208/208 208/208 206/208 FAM 143/153 143/147 143/143 NED 203/207 195/203 203/209 FAM 135/137 135/137 146/150 FAM 330/330 296/310 314/316 FAM 173/194 182/194 215/218 HEX 336/336 336/339 336/345 NED 258/264 240/242 254/258 FAM 280/282 276/282 270/280 NED 291/295 291/295 291/305 HEX 196/200 196/200 196/196

REFERENCES

-   Bassil N. V., Botta R., Mehlenbacher S. A. 2005a. Microsatellite     markers in hazelnut: Isolation, characterization and cross-species     amplification. J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 130:543-549. -   Bassil N. V., Botta R., Mehlenbacher S. A. 2005b. Additional     microsatellite markers of the European hazelnut. Acta Hort.     686:105-110. -   Boccacci P., Akkak A., Bassil N. V., Mehlenbacher S. A.,     Botta R. 2005. Characterization and evaluation of microsatellite     loci in European hazelnut (C. avellana) and their transferability to     other Corylus species. Molec. Ecol. Notes 5:934-937. -   Boccacci P., Akkak, A. and Botta, R. 2006. DNA typing and genetic     relations among European hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) cultivars     using microsatellite markers. Genome 49:598-611. -   Gökirmak T., Mehlenbacher S. A., Bassil N. V. 2009. Characterization     of European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) cultivars using SSR markers.     Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 56:147-172. -   Gürcan, K., S. A. Mehlenbacher and V. Erdogan. 2010a. Genetic     diversity in hazelnut cultivars from Black Sea countries assessed     using SSR markers. Plant Breeding (available on-line     doi:10.1111/j.1439-0523.2009.01753.x). -   Gürcan, K., S. A. Mehlenbacher, N. V. Bassil, P. Boccacci, A. Akkak     and R. Botta. 2010b. New microsatellite markers for Corylus avellana     from enriched libraries. Tree Genetics and Genomes (available     on-line as DOI 10.1007/s11295-010-0269-y). -   Gürcan, K. and S. A. Mehlenbacher. 2010. Development of     microsatellite marker loci for European hazelnut (Corylus avellana     L.) from ISSR fragments. Molecular

Breeding (available on-line). 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Corylus plant named ‘York’, as illustrated and described. 